Broken Linked Hearts
by Jagfan 724
Summary: [Complete] It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to end like this. WARNING: Character Deaths.
1. Chapter 1

AN: WARNING: CHARACTER DEATHS

Sorry, this just came to me in a moment of angst and emotion. I hate how this is, but a part of me just wondered, **what if?**

* * *

He stood there just watching it go by helplessly. She was happy and that was all that mattered. The fact that he was totally, completely, and entirely in love with her took backseat when it came to this. She was getting married and she was happy.

He had asked her to wait and she didn't. She told him 'never'. He gave up everything to go and save her life and she told him 'never'. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

And now here he was at her wedding, as one of the groomsmen. She had wanted him to be the best man but Clay had refused. It was still an issue between the two of them but forgotten at the moment. Mac and Clay were getting married and Harm just stood there watching. Harriet, as the Maid of Honor, had looked expectedly at Harm when the priest had asked if there were any objections but he had kept his mouth shut. God, how he wanted to say something. But he just wanted her to be happy above all. If this would make her happy, then he would let her do it.

He was hurting so badly inside. She had stopped by one night to tell him that Clay had proposed and that they were getting married. He played the role of excited best friend and was truly happy for her. The minute she had left, he broke down and cried. He had wanted to give in to alcohol but he couldn't do that to her. He had stopped drinking because of her. He had done a lot of things different because of her.

He was in love with her, he had almost told her once but she said 'never'. If only she knew how badly he was hurting inside. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

It was a somewhat large ceremony, full military was what they wanted. But since none of the other groomsmen were military, Harm had been forced to wear a tuxedo like the others. It was uncomfortable and he ached to pull at his tie and pull it loose. He actually missed the familiarity of his dress whites. He had grown so used to them over the years. He tried to plaster a smile on his face, this was her big moment, he needed to be happy for her but he was aching inside. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

"And do you, Sarah MacKenzie, take Clayton Webb to be your lawfully wedded husband" the priest asked.

After a brief split second's hesitation and a thought of something else, she responded, "I do."

"Then I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," finished the priest.

Harm closed his eyes briefly as Sarah and Clay leaned in to kiss. He felt sick, he felt weak, he felt dizzy. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

He waited until they were in the confines of the reception room to loosen his tie. He sat there and watched as the lovely bride and groom danced their first dance together as husband and wife. The hours passed and soon Sarah and Clay had been sent off on their honeymoon, who knows where?

He watched as they climbed into the waiting limo and as it drove off. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

His face felt hot and with each passing moment, he grew more and more dizzy. The JAG family was watching him, seeing how he was handling the moment and all had seemed well. Until as he was making his way out, he seemed to stumble a little. He reached out and grabbed onto the doorway to regain his balance. AJ, Jen, Sturgis, Bobbi, Bud, and Harriet all watched as he stood upright and started back out.

The world seemed to be spinning around him. There were blurry spots in front of his eyes and he could hardly seem to move without his body hurting. His chest area hurt the most, pains were shooting through his body, originating from his upper left chest. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

He stumbled again, mumbling something. This time there was nothing for him to reach out to. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Harriet screamed as he collapsed, falling to the ground and not moving. He didn't get up. The JAG crew rushed to his side, checking for a pulse. He didn't move, he was barely breathing.

Someone yelled to call for an ambulance. AJ and Turner tried CPR but he just wasn't responding.

"Damnit, son, breathe," AJ yelled. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

The paramedics soon arrived and just as they were about to prepare him to put on a stretcher, he was heard murmuring one last word.

_Sarah_.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Mac and Clay were just getting off the airplane when her cell phone rang. They both sighed in frustration, but continued on their way to collecting their luggage and heading to the hotel as she checked the called id.

_Chegwidden_.

He wouldn't be calling if it wasn't an emergency so Mac answered it.

"Admiral?"

"Sarah, something's happened." AJ didn't even know where to begin.

"What?"

Clay watched as Mac's face went pale and she struggled to find a seat to sit down on. The color completely drained from her face and the phone fell from her hands, cluttering to the ground. She looked up at him, her chocolate brown eyes, big and wide, full of fear.

"He died."

Clay didn't even have to ask who. He knew in an instant. Only one man could ever have that kind of reaction on Sarah. His first reaction was to drop their bags and come over to comfort her. He tried putting his arms around her to give her a hug but she pushed him away.

"He just died." She was in shock. Clay had never seen her like this before. "I've got to get back home...I can't...I can't do this right now."

"Sarah, it's okay, we'll catch a flight back tomorrow," Clay tried.

"Damnit, Webb, I've got to be there now. My best friend just died," she snapped, rising from her seat and heading back to the airline's desk.

"And we can go back tomorrow," he said. Just when he thought he had put some distance between the two, she wanted to go back.

She just snapped, going into full Marine-mode. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and threw him up against the wall. "I'm going back now, you bastard, you can do whatever the hell you want."

She let him fall to the ground and stormed off. He watched as she talked her way into getting on the next flight and he continued to watch as she boarded the plane and left. She didn't look back once.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.


	3. Chapter 3

"I want to see him," Mac stubbornly argued.

"Mac...Sarah, he's gone," AJ tried. She wanted to see his body one last time. She wanted, no, she needed to say good-bye.

"I want to see him," she repeated.

The coroner sighed in frustration. Never argue with a female Marine Colonel.

"Fine, but only for a few minutes," he reluctantly agreed, opening the door behind him.

Sarah made her way in, clutching her jacket. Harm lay on the cold metal table, pale, his eyes closed. She would have given anything to see his beautiful sea-green eyes one last time, to see him with his flyboy smile. It had been a while since she had been graced with his patented flyboy smile. Things had been so tense between them since Paraguay. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

She reached out to run her fingers across his eyelids and then trailed them down his cold face to his lips. It was him, he was gone. He had died. The doctors had fed them some excuse about a heart attack but everyone knew what it was. He had died of a broken heart, and even she knew that.

She bent down and placed a gentle kiss on his soft, cold lips, still not saying a word.

With one last look at her partner of 9 years, her best friend, her soul mate, she turned and headed out. AJ reached out to help guide her out to his car. She had arrived in a taxi. It was a silent drive to her apartment. She neither spoke nor displayed any emotion. He grew more and more worried, she needed to release. Even tears would have helped but nothing came. He dropped her off at her apartment, gave her a hug, and told her to call him anytime, day or night.

She just nodded and then locked the door behind the retired NAVY SEAL/lawyer. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

She collapsed on her soft bed, still not giving in to any emotion though it threatened to overtake her.

He had been her everything. He had been through everything with her. He had saved her life countless times. They had been best friends for years. Butch and Sundance, Batman and Robin, Flyboy and Ninja Girl, Squid and Jarhead, Commander and Colonel, Harm and Mac.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.


	4. Chapter 4

AJ tried calling her apartment but the phone just rang and rang. Harriet tried, they all did. Finally, they all just met at her door to check on her. Jen picked the lock and they rushed in, searching for their beloved friend.

Jen let out a loud gasp as she found Mac lying on bed, not moving at all. There was no pulse, no sign of life. She broke down and cried, sobbing into AJ's chest as he held her in an embrace of comfort. Bud held Harriet as they both shed tears of grief and Sturgis just sank to his knees, swallowed up in his own pain and grief. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

They couldn't wake her, no matter how hard they tried. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

They were buried next to each other in Arlington National Cemetery. They wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Doctors gave them loads of information about how the two had had heart problems and other internal health problems but everyone knew the real reason.

Harmon and Sarah had died of broken hearts. They had been inextricably linked together since they had met. Their hearts and souls intertwined forever, for eternity. They had caused each other endless pain and grief, only to be reunited in their death.

They couldn't have lived without each other, it wasn't supposed to be like that.

It wasn't supposed to end like this.


End file.
